"Jesus Christ Superstar" and "Godspell"

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my goodness you are making me feel old, does this mean a new generation has discovered the worst of what mine has to offer? couple of good toons from Godspell, other than that, both eminently forgettable. if you are among those for whom the spectre of the urban myth of the “clown Mass” brings fear and trembling by all means stay away from Godspell, or take your BP meds first
 
puzzleannie said:
my goodness you are making me feel old, does this mean a new generation has discovered the worst of what mine has to offer? couple of good toons from Godspell, other than that, both eminently forgettable. if you are among those for whom the spectre of the urban myth of the “clown Mass” brings fear and trembling by all means stay away from Godspell, or take your BP meds first
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Not one stage production I’ve seen had clowns like the movie did. The first production was ‘valley girl’ type people, the second very straight religious people, our production featured street folk.
 
the ones we did had not clowns exactly but exaggerated “village people” types, or hippy dippy trippies. saw a touring co. of JCS where the costumes were something Cecil b deMille on LSD would have chosen
 
Godspell appeals to people like me who grasp God better through the abstract.

If you like God straight up, no frills, no analogies, no allegories, you won’t like stuff like Godspell.

Many of the Haugen-type songs are very abstract, and I think this is one reason why so many dislike them–they just don’t understand.

But I love the abstract. I get the significance of Jesus as a clown (or whatever–I agree, I’ve seen lots of different settings for Godspell, and most haven’t had a clown.) This analogy is very meaningful to me.

Jesus apparently understood that many people are abstract thinkers because He told parables along with straight preaching.
 
I’ve seen both as stage productions, but not as movies. (Actually, I was in JCS…TWICE :eek: ). At the time, I saw nothing problematic, but in retrosepct, I can see why some people like to stay away from them.

A lot of it depends upon who is putting it on. Both times I was in JCS, we inserted our own Resurrection scene at the end. We tried to make it as Catholic as possible. But then there was one of my fellow cast-mates who saw a production of JCS that ended with Judas, Jesus, and Mary Magdelene all getting on a motorcycle and driving off together! :eek:

Godspell I’m not as familiar with as it’s been a number of years since I saw it.

Again, as with any stage production, there is often an opportunity for great leeway in certain areas. The text is set, but the background, costumes, and the way lines are delivered are unique from show to show. Thus, it can be very different depending upon who is putting it on.

They’re certainly not the best depictions of Jesus’s life, but they’re certainly not the worst, either.
 
I went to see the lastest broadway tour of JCS this last december and it was interesting because at the end of the play they had Christ be lifted off the cross up with cables into the sky and out of sight. It was clearly meant to the be the resurection. As soon as he was out of sight, a giant cloth fell from celing at the front of the stage that had a giant immage of the shroud of turin on it.

Definetly a far diffferent take on it then what is usual.
 
I performed Godspell last year, which was beyond great. Our high school cast had a lot fun doing it. A rival school did Jesus Christ Superstar. Both are goodd.
 
My favorite movie in high school was JCS! OH am I old! I recently bought the 2001 dvd. I really didn’t like it as much. The guy that plays Jesus wasn’t very believable. The guns and gang like violence bothered me…trying to keep up with the times I guess. And Mary Magdeline was so romantically in love with Jesus and too touchy feely for my taste. I did like the guy that played Judas tho. He seemed more like a true friend of Jesus.
I say, stick to Ted Neely in the 1972 version! 👍 Much more believable. Well, except the Herrod scene in both of them.:cool:
 
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